Movie Essays - Loncraines Film Production of Shakespeares Richard III :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Loncraines Film Production of Shakespeares Richard trine Loncraines film brilliantly furthers Richard IIIs role as the diabolical genius. His use of parsimoniousness and symbolism in portraying Richard gives completeness to the character that the text in close to ways lacks. The short but intriguing enduring scene in the film makes this clear.The first thing I noticed about the stable scene in the film was the monochromatic color scheme. As Donaldson noted, the boring browns, grays, and beiges are reminiscent of the several death scenes. The colors befit the start where Richard meets Tyrrel, Clarences murderer, and receives Tyrrels vow of loyalty. Both characters connections to the following death scene are foreshadowed by Loncraines choice of color palate Tyrrel as the murderer-for-hire, Richard as the instigator. Richards reaction toward the animals in the stable gives glimpses of insight into his character. For instance, seeing the boar in the pen ab initio amuses Richard. He sees Tyrrel feeding the boar, looking on approvingly. As Richard moves away from the boars pen, Tyrrel tosses an apple to the man accompanying Richard in a quick gesture of lore and camaraderie. Richard proceeds to gently feed the apple to a horse this is a direct prediction of Richards need for a horse in the final battle A horse A horse My kingdom for a horse (V.iv.). Richard is feeding a useful and important animal, showing more than than sympathy and care than he does for the rest of the humans in the film. Conversely, Richard throws his apple at the boar after discerning Tyrrels loyalty. The boar serves two purposes in the scene it is both more useful when it is not alive (as food), and a symbol of Richards family (Richards crest contains the image of a boar, and Richard himself is often referred to as a boar in the text). Richard obviously has more use for the horse than he does the boar, alluding to his value of a creature or character based on its usefulness-he is q uick to kill anything or anyone he finds opposing or contest him. This includes his family, which is the boars symbolic purpose. The boar, though penned and revileless, becomes the target of Richards sadistic desire to bring harm to those around him. In the same way, Richard designs schemes to injure his family members for the more useful goal of gaining kingship. His family is no good to him while they are alive they are more useful when they are dead and out of his way.